Centrifugal casting machine



May 9, 1950 J. A. TOLElK 2,507,388

CENTRIFUGAL. CASTING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. W Z. M BY @MKWM May 9, 1950 Filed June 1, 1946 J. A. TOLEIK CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

y 1950 J. A. TOLEIK 2,507,388

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 4 z/ QLT M BY W y 1950 J. A. TOLEIK 2,507,388

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5/ /05 H i 79 Z0 95 Y 66 w 52 E 9 His !HI 5g 5/ '5; fiifl fi INVENTOR.

/%0 am BY Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CENTBIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE John A. Toleik, Berwyn, Ill.

Application June 1, 1946, Serial No. 673,823

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to centrifugal castin machines. So far as I am aware, no one up to the present invention has been able to make satisfactory magnesium castings centrifugally on account of the oxides and other inclusions which have been found present in castings of 'this metal when they have been made centrifugally according to the methods of the prior art.

The present invention contemplates the use of the ladle for casting metals and the like covered in my prior application filed April 17, 1946, Serial No. 662,733, now matured into Patent No. 2,497,838, by means of which the ladle may be so filled that a neutra1 atmosphere is maintained above the metal in the ladle, the oxides floating on top of the metal in the furnace are substantially all kept out of the ladle, and such oxides as may be included are discharged into the sprue or kept in the ladle.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved centrifugal casting machine by means of which substantially perfect castings may be made, having a fine grained, homogeneous structure substantially free of oxides, other inclusions, or porosity.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved centrifugal casting machine by means of which castings may be made more expeditiously, as most of the operations involved in the making of the casting and handling of the molds may be made automatic.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved centrifugal casting machine having automatic means for locking the cope and drag, or mold halves, together while the mold is rotating, and for automatically releasing them when the rotation of the mold stops.

Another object is the provision of a relatively quick actuating devic for lifting the cope from the drag, and the provision of automatic means for ejecting the casting from the mold.

Another object is the provision of an improved centrifugal casting machine which includes brake means for stopping the rotation of the mold quickly, preheating means for bringing the mold parts up to casting temperature, cooling means for cooling both the cope and drag, and pneumatic means for separating the mold halves. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

, Referring to the drawings, of which there are four sheets:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a centrifugal casting machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal view taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-4 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the mold parts in the position with the casting in the act of being ejected from the cope by means of an automatic ejector.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the casting machine preferably comprises a lower frame structure such as the four tubular legs I O-l 3 located at the four corners of a metal table top H! to the under side of which the legs may be welded, the legs being joined by tubular braces l5-l8, each of which has its end welded to a leg to form a lower bracing frame of substantially rectangular shape.

The table top H may project beyond the upper ends of the legs at each corner, and may have secured to it the four upwardly extending frame members Iii-22 of angular shape, each one of which may have its flanges welded to the two edges of the table at eachcorner, and may have its flanges beveled at 23-, at the lower end, for engagement with the legs I 13-13 to which they may be welded.

A pair of transverse frame members 24, 25 may extend the longest dimension of the table beneath the top l4, and may be secured to the braces l5 and IT by welding or by suitable bolts or rivets, to provide a support for the driving motor 26 and for the gear housing 21, the motor being preferably located outside of the frame, and the gear housing 21 being centrally located below the table top l4.

Drive shaft 28 of motor 26 may be provided with a multiple-grooved l-pulley 29 for engagement with the V-belt 30, which also engages in the grooves of a second multiple-groove V-pulley 3| carried by the driven shaft 32, rotatably mounted in bearings in the housing 21.

Any suitable form of gear reduction may be employed, th one illustrated being similar to that utilized in the rear axle housing of an automobile, except that a direct gear drive is employed between the driven shaft 32 and the vertical shaft 33 (Fig. 1) which passes through a suitable aperture in the table top M.

The vertical shaft 33 is keyed or otherwise secured to a rotating turntable plate 34, the shaft being provided with a brake drum 35 engaged by a brake band 36. A suitable anti-friction bearing 3'! rotatably supports the upper end or vertical shaft '33.

Referring to Fig. 6, the structure is broken away in this fragmentary plan view to show the brake drum 35 and the brake band 36. The brake band may be supported by a cylindrical housing 38 which is secured to the table 'topbyineans of a plurality of angle brackets 39, and the-band may have its ends secured to the pins 19 and M on a brake lever 42 which itself is pivotally mounted on the pin 4 l.

The ends of brake band 38 are formed with cylindrical formations which act as bearings about the pins ill-and 4 I, and the tendencyo'f the brake band 36 is to expand, sliding outward on the cylindrical support 38 out of contact with the drum 35. When the lever 42 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 6, the band 35 is tightened on the drum .35, but when it is released, the brake releases the .drum 35.

43 indicates a lever carried by the rotating turntableplate 3 1 and threaded upon .a stud 4'4. This lever may carry a weight 45 at its outer end, and may be urged by means of a spring 45 in a counterclockwise direction.

The stud 44 carries a coarse thread extending in a clockwise-direction looking from thetop (Fig. and the hub of thelever Adsurrounding stud it is internally threaded so that when the lever -43 is turned in a clockwisedirection, looking from the top, that is, the direction of the arrowin Fig. 6, it tends to rise upon the stud id to engage an ejector-pin I51, Fig. 5. The ejector pin-[5i is located with its upper plane end flush with the bottomof the cavity 12 or casting' i'i .at one of its edges, and the ejector pin l5! also engages .the lower plane surface .69 of thecope 13 so that the ejector pin l5 [must be withdrawn into the flush position beforethe two mold halves can-be placed together.

A spring 46 urges .thele-ver 43 into the position in which the ejector pin 15!. is retracted, the spring being hooked in the lever wand having its other end secured to the turntable.

Referring to Fig. 'l, the two mold halves are there shown in section, and this is-a mold which is adapted to be used for forming a fryingpan 4'! (Fig. 8) of the type having a flat bottom 48, frusto-conical sides 59, and a radially-extending handle tang 55 which is to beengaged by an insulating handle. The sprue 5! is,-of course, cut off along the plane of the outside of the bottom 48.

The drag or lower mold member 52 (Fig. 8) comprises ametal-member formed'with around has/e53 which has a plane upper surface 54 and supports an upwardly projecting mold formation 55 with frusto-conical sides 'dfi'and a flat top 51. The corner between sides 55 and top'il is rounded at 58 to provide a pan "1! which is more easily cleaned.

The present'molds are 'preierablymoldswhich maybe made ofan alloy soldunder thename of Meehanite, a calcium silicide cast :iron which has a fine grain structure which provides a smooth surface, and which can be tempered .to withstand the "temperatures to which it:is subjected incasting aluminum andmagnesium. The

mold may thus be made by castingtthe'mold'ina plaster pattern of suitable characteristics, thus saving machiningoperations, which wouldotherwise'be requiredto make the permanent mold.

The lower mold member or drag is provided bolts pass through unthreaded bores 62 with a plurality of threaded bores '59 for receiving the threaded stud bolts 60, preferably equally spaced, and four in number, by means of which the lower mold member 52 is fixedly mounted on the turntablesl. After being threadedinto bores 59, bolts are secured by lock nuts SI, and the in turntable 34, where they are secured by nuts 63 above and nuts 64 below the turntable.

The upper mold half '13 comprises a substantially conical body 65 having a plane upper surface- 65 and "a radially projecting annular flange 6]- terminating at an edge 68 which may be flush with the edge 53 of the drag 52. The flange 61 hasa lower plane surface 69 which fits against the plane suriace'fie on the drag52.

Cope it! has a frusto-conical cavity "H which is concentric with the frusto-conical outer surface 56 on the drag 52, but spaced therefrom sufwficiently to provide the mold cavity 12 of the same thickness as exemplified in the casting 41. The cavity of the cope i0 has a'plane upper surface 73 which joins to the side wall "T! with the rounded corner at I4 to form the outside of the pan '57 with rounded corners.

Flange '57 of the upper mold half Til is provided with a plurality, preferably three or four, of equally spaced axial sockets 15 of cylindrical shape, adapted to receive the cylindrical part 16 of aplurality of alignment pins Tl, each of which has a tapered upper end 16. The alignment pins "H are so fixedly located in the drag 52 that when they are in the sockets l5, and the-cylindrical surfaces 16 are engaging the outer cylindrical Walls of sockets l5,'the cope and drag are aligned,

.as shown in Fig. 7, with a uniform spacing on all sides of the cavity l2. The two mold parts also have the laterally projecting cavity formation adapted to form the shank'fifl for supporting a handle.

The cope this also provided with the centrally located and upwardly extending filling opening and sprue conduit 19 which comprises an upwardly tapering bore defineolby a tubular member 89. The filling opening lsmay terminate in prising a sheet metal plate having 9. depending cylindrical flange 81 and a centrally located aperture SBfor passing'the sprue'conduit 80.

Shieldtfi may be secured .to upper-mold half 18 by a fin casting 89 comprising a cast metal member of circular shape provided with a plurality of radially extending fins 80. Fin casting 89 has a lower circular body 9] and a tubular member 92 which surrounds the-conduit 80,-the latter being receivedin-a bore'93. A plurality-of screw-bolts 94 pass through the fin plate '89 and through the shield 86, and are threaded into threaded bores 35 in the upper mold half .10.

Theshield is'preierably circularand of such diameter that it extends well over the supporting screw-bolts '89 which are intended to support the cope when it .is 'tolbe lifted .from'the drag, as shown in Fig. 8. Screw-.zbolts :96 are threaded into threaded bores 91 in the supporting plates 98 where they are secured by lock nuts The two screw-bolts 96 are diametrically opposite each other, and they are at such an elevation that they hold the cope parallel to the drag by engaging the shield 86 at the same time, and lifting the cope axially from the drag by a mechanism further to be described.

The vertically extending angle irons I9-22 are joined at the top by a pair of transversely extending frame members let, one of which joins the frame members I9, 2%, and another the frame members 2 I, 22. Additional shorter frame members I OI (Fig. 1) extend between angle irons I9 and 22 and angle irons 2t and 2! at a somewhat lower elevation for supporting the transverse frame member I02 which is adapted to carry the upper guides H13 for a cope lifting mechanism, indicated in its entirety by the numeral Illd.

At a lower elevation there are two more frame members I05 extending horizontally and joining the angle irons I9-22 and 2Il2I for supporting another transverse frame member I06 which carries guides It? for the lifting mechanism IM. The lifting mechanism I62 for the cope may comprise a pair of cylindrical rods or shafts I03, I09, and the guides I63, It? may be in the nature of pillow block bearings having cylindrical bores for receiving the rods I68, I 89. Thus the rods I08, I t9 are mounted for up and down motion.

Rods I68, I99 are joined at the upper end by a pair of transverse frame members II D (Fig. 1, Fig. 2), these frame members being welded to the opposite faces of the rods to hold rods IE8, H39 in parallel relation. Frame members Ht form a cross-head which has a transverse pin I I I mounted on it for pivotal securement to the upper end of a piston rod H2.

The piston rod II2 extends into a cylinder H3 in which it is provided with a two-way piston, and the cylinder H3 is pivotally mounted on a pin I I4 which is pivotally mounted on the transverse frame member Itt. Suitable flexible conduits I I5, IIS communicate with the cylinder H3 at its upper end above the piston Hi, and at its lower end below the piston II'I. These conduits lead to a two-way valve I it which also communicates with a source of air under pressure through conduit H9.

Valve I I8 has a handle I29 which, when located in middle position, shuts off communication to both cylinder conduits H5, I I6, thus holding the sliding mechanism H34 in the position in which it happens to be. one direction, air can be admitted into the conduit H6 which leads to cylinder H3, lifting piston II'I. When handle I is moved in the opposite direction, air is admitted to the cylinder H3 above the piston IITI, thereby moving the sliding mechanism IIM downward. By means of valve US the air may be suitably throttled so that its movement is without shock.

The rods I08, Hi9 extend downwardly on both sides of the shield 86 which is secured to the cope, and these rods support the plates 93 which carry the screw-bolts 96 which are located under the shield 88 in position to lift the shield. Rods I08, It!) also support the arms 85 which they carry by means of adjustable clamps so that these arms may be adjusted as desired, to provide a rest for the handle or bottom of the ladle 83 of my prior application, while the mold is being filled.

In order to prevent accidental dropping of the cope while the mold cavity is being inspected or When handle I29 is moved in cleaned, the transverse frame member I06 may have a bracket I2I pivotally supporting a multiple-toothed latch I22, any of the grooves I23 of which is adapted to receive one of the plates 98 carried by one of the rods I68. Thus the mechanism may be latched in the upper position also, or it may be latched with the molds only slightly separated for the preheating operation.

A ball-weighted lever I 25 is pivoted on the same pin I25 as the latch I22, and has a bell crank arm with a lug I26 engaging the inner side of the latch lever I22. When the ball I24 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 its weight is suflicient to hold the lever I22 out of latching position, but when the ball I24 is swung over in a counter-clockwise direction, and the lug I26 no longer engages lever I22, gravity swings the lever I22 into latching position at all times.

The teeth I2? of the latching lever I22 are preferably beveled upwardly so that the sliding mechanism I04 may cam the latch backward as it passes upwardly, but it is caught as it passes downwardly again if the latch I22 is in latching posi tion. The transverse frame member I02 (Fig. 1) near the top, below the cross-head IIt, preferably has a threaded bracket I 28 provided with an upwardly extending screw bolt I29 which engages the lower side of cross-head III] and is secured by suitable lock nuts.

Bolt I29 constitutes an adjustable stop for limiting the downward movement of the sliding mechanism N34. The upward movement may be limited by the piston in the cylinder.

In order to preheat the mold, the frame member preferably carries suitable conduits I351 with a main valve ISI, and auxiliary shut-off valve I32, 333 for the two burners I34. I35, which may be located at diametrically opposite sides of the mold. One of the burners I34 may be located to project its flame beneath the drag or between the drag 52 and turntable plate 34. The other burnor I35 may be located to play on the upper mold half Ill, but is preferably located so that it will project its flame between the two mold halves when they are slightly separated.

As there is a tendency for the heat to rise with the products of combustion, this heats the upper parts of the mold also very effectively, and by means of these burners the mold may be preheated to the proper casting temperature.

The conduit I35 is supplied with a suitable liquid or gaseous fuel suitably mixed with air or oxygen in the proper proportions. If a liquid fuel is used, the burners must, of course, include an atomizing nozzle.

The two mold halves are preferably provided with means for clamping them together, and these means are preferably actuated by centrifugal force. Such a mechanism is shown in Fig. 5, in which the turntable plate 34 supports a pair of upstanding brackets I36 which are similar in shape and oppositely located. Each bracket has an attaching portion I 3? secured to the turntable by screw-bolts I 33.

The upstanding portion of each bracket is indicated at I39, and it extends to the upper level of the mold flange 61, and is provided with a transverse pin MI] for pivotally mounting a weight lever MI. This weight lever is pivotally connected at I52, by means of a rivet, to a link I 43, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a. latching member I l-4 by means of a rivet I45.

The latching lever I44 may be pivotally supported upon flange I35 by a rivet I65, and it extends upwardly. and'is provided with a hooker & 1338 rete nin anemher 11.41 at itsupper end, the lower houlder 1148. of which fitsover the top of flange :61 ofthe cope 'l-fl.

'Thepoint of pivotal connection of the connecting link M3 to weight lever {.4 l ,-:in Fig. 5, is at M2, outside of the pin 4 1, 'so thatas the two weight levers Ml rise to the dotted line positions, the link 14.3 is moved-inwardly ineach case in a radial direction, causing the latches M4 to move their shoulders [.48 over the. top Offthe upper mold half :at-the flange 61.

Each of the weghtlevers Ml happens to have agroove 142, which was necessitated by the fact that these levers were made out of bars, and the groove wasprovided-so. that they could be pivoted .down far enough'to free thecope Without the lever Ml engaging the turntable plate 34.

The operation of this part of the mechanism is as follows: When the mold is rotated, centrifugalforce causes the'levers M! to swing out ward to the dotted line pesitions, automatically causing the latches IM to clamp the mold halves together as long as the rotation continues. The levers move down to the full-line position when the rotation stops and the centrifugal force dethreaded into a bore in the frame member lot and is secured by a lock :nutin such position as 'to project into the sprue bore 19 when the cope is suflicientlylifted. This cjector i553 engages the sprue when the cope is sufliciently lifted, and

causes the casting to be ejected'from the cope.

The operation of that-mechanism of the casting machine ;is as ;-follows: When castings are to be made, the mold halves are first spaced slightly and preheated as described. Then the mold is placed in a state of rotation by energizing the motor 2-6, and the speed of rotation will depend upon the type of Inetalbeing cast, the size of the mold, the temperatures employed, etc.

For example, a rotation .of 500 to 600 R. P. M. is sufiieient for casting aluminum frying pans. If a motor having aspeedof 18003.. P. M. is employed, by meansof the stepped pulleys, the belt may be so adjusted'asto, vary the speed between a-wide range of speed limits.

As soon asthe mold beginstorotate and reaches a predetermined speed, the centrifugallyactuated levers M-I :moveoutward by centrifugal force, and

.urge the latches lfl into latching position to hold the .two halves of the :mold together.

The-ladle of my prior-application may then be filled by depressing its lower filling conduit 82 into the free surface of molten metal in the furnace and opening the ball valve-fi thy means of the actuating member provided, so that metal wells upinto the ladle 83 from the bottom, and the oxides which are floating-on top .of the molten metal are pushed to one;sideand kept from entering the ladle83.

Should, perchance, a small amount enter the lower filling opening 82 of the ladle-83, these oxides will pass to the top of the molten metal in the ladle 83. If desired-the meltenmetal may have a neutralatmosphereabove it in the ladle to prevent further oxidation, and by means of a suitable conduitextending through the ball Valve of my ladle, themoldmay begases orfilled with a suitvable gasadapted'toprevent oxidation in the mold.

The ladle may thenbe broughtto the rotating mold and restedupononeofthe arms 85 in such position that its-discharge spout 82 is immediately .above the sprue conduitgBBrfiHClthen the ball valve ma e opene soiliatthemetal asse do nwa out of, he a l; -into at -..c.avi.t ith rotatin m ld he t e nt iuea fo e causes th molten metal to move outward in all directions o fi the mold, a d, t iz o the adl s same portioned to the size of the mold that the ladle contains sufficient metal to form one or more castings.

When sufficient metal has been poured into the mold to, effect a filling, the ball valve is closed and the ladle is removed, the motor is (fie-energized, and the mold is stoppedrotating as quickly as possible by meansof the brake 35, 3E.

he t o hould e sto n d w i h m a is still plastic in the spr-ue bore #9 so that-it will run down to close the centrifugally formed bore which would otherwise be present while the mold and molten metal are rotated.

As the mold stops, due to the immediate use of the brake after the metal has been discharged from the ladle into the mold, centrifugal force acting on the latching mechanism ceases, and the latching mechanism which secures the mold halves together is automatically released. The lever 23, which has beenrotating in radial position with the turntable 34,a nd which has -a weight 5 at its outer end tends to continue inits direction of rotation, tensioning-thespring 46 and rising on the threads .of-stud {14, to lift ejector pin I56 automatically due to "the inertiaof lever d3. Thus not only are the mold halves releasedfrom being clamped together, but the ejector automatically lifts the cope from the drag and, lifts the casting with it, the casting beinglcarried by the cope.

Thereupon, the cope is lifted by means of the lifting mechanism by turning the compressed air valve to the lifting position. The casting lifts with the cope fromthe drag, and as the mold rises the ejector [58, carried by a f xed frame member IE5, passes into the sprue bore .19, and acting on the sprue, drives the castingdownward out of the cope. The castingis-then removed, and the mold inspected to be sure that it isclean, and, thereafter, the valve handle 12!) may be moved in the opposite direction to lower the lifting mechanism I114.

The cope having been lifted while the mold was not rotating, the two halves of the mold will still be in the same rotative position, and asthe cope is lowered upon the drag, the alignment pins H, withtheir tapered-ends l3, will go into the socket 1-5 and bring the mold halves into proper registry.

The castings madezbythe-foresoin mechanism are found to be sound, of a fineegrain structure, and without porosity, and substantially without any included oxides or other inclusions. My method of casting may lie-briefly summarized as follows:

A rotating mold is provided with a centrally located sprue conduit lecatedon the aziisof rotation and esteniillg upwardly. Metal is melted in a furnace and-maintained in a clean condition at a suitable casting temperature, and istaken from the furnace by a ladle having a downwardly extending filling and discharge opening. This discharge opening is valved on the inside, and the ladle is filled by depressing-the filling opening below the free surface of the molten metal in the furnace so as to fill the ladle-by Welling up the metal from below, this avoiding the oxides on the surface of the molten metal.

When the ladle isproperly filled, the valve is closed to prevent the moltenmetal from running o t, and t eledl the p aced a ially .of the rotating mold, with its discharge opening'in sub stantial registry with the axially located filling opening of the mold, and the valve of the ladle is opened.

The metal then runs downward out of the ladle, into the mold, with a minimum shock and a minimum exposure of metal to the atmosphere, and a minimum oxidation, and the pouring is continued until the mold is filled, any oxides which are present going to the top of the metal in the ladle and appearing in the sprue of the mold.

The mold having been filled, the ladle is removed, the rotation stopped, and the cope and drag separated. The rotation must be stopped quickly enough so that the metal in the sprue is still in plastic condition, so that it will run down in the sprue conduit to close the bore, which is otherwise brought about by the action of centrifugal force on the metal in the mold, even down to the bottom of the pan being cast. The plastic metal running down in the sprue will close the bottom of the pan and provide a sound, perfectly shaped casting.

The casting should be removed promptly to prevent restraint by the mold, and, thereafter, the sprue may be cut off from the bottom of the casting.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved casting machine by means of which inclusions of oxides or other inclusions are substantially eliminated.

' By means of the supply of suitable gas to the top of the metal in the ladle, and suitable gas through the ball valve into the discharge conduit of the ladle, the metal in the ladle may be kept free of oxidation, and the mold itself may be filled with suitable gas to prevent oxidation, this gas escaping through the cracks between the mold halves as the mold is being filled. Gas also may escape up the center of the sprue conduit, since the metal tends to be thrown to the outer wall of the sprue conduit in the same manner as it is moved outwardly in the mold by centrifugal force.

By means of my casting machine and by utilizing my improved ladle, castings may be made of many different metals, including magnesium, which, so far as I am aware, has never been cast successfully in a centrifugal casting machine. The making of castings is accomplished very expeditiously, and the casting illustrated may be made at the rate of about four castings per minute with my casting machine.

, While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a centrifugal casting machine, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a plurality of legs, a table for supporting a mold, a base carried by the legs, a driving motor and driven vertical shaft extending through said table. an upwardly extending frame comprising a plurality of vertical frame members joined by trans verse horizontal frame members, said horizontal frame members extending at right angles to each other to each of the corners of the frame, and supporting a plurality of intermediate horizontal frame members, a turn table carried by said shaft, a brake drum carried by the shaft below the turn table, said turn table having a plurality of axially extending, regularly spaced, threaded bolts secured thereto by nuts and arranged in a circle, and a drag having threaded apertures for receiving said bolts which are threaded into said drag to secure the drag to the turn table in centered position at right angles to the axis of the shaft, and a cope fitting over said drag and forming with the drag a mold cavity, said cope having a centrally located, vertically extending filling opening, a circular metal plate carried by the top of the cope and projecting radially from the cope, a pair of rods slidably mounted upon said intermediate frame members, said rods being joined by a cross head and intermediate frame members, a hydraulic cylinder and piston connected to the cross head to lift the sliding rods, and a pair of arms carried by the lower ends of the sliding rods and extending under said circular, steel plate for lifting the cope hydraulically from the drag.

2. In a centrifugal casting machine, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a plurality of legs, a table for supporting a mold, a base carried by the legs, a driving motor and driven vertical shaft extending through said table, an upwardly extending frame comprising a plurality of vertical frame members joined by transverse horizontal frame members, said horizontal frame members extending at right angles to each other to each of the corners of the frame, and supporting a plurality of intermediate horizontal frame members, a turn table carried by said shaft, a brake drum carried by the shaft below the turn table, said turn table having a plurality of axially extending, regularly spaced, threaded bolts secured thereto by nuts and arranged in a circle, and a drag having threaded apertures for receiving said bolts which are threaded into said drag to secure the drag to the turn table in centered position at right angles to the axis of the shaft, and a cope fitting over said drag and forming with the drag a mold cavity, said cope having a centrally located, vertically extending filling opening, a circular metal plate carried by the top of the cope and projecting radially from the cope, a pair of rods slidably mounted upon said intermediate frame members, said rods being joined by a cross head and intermediate frame members, a hydraulic cylinder and piston connected to the cross head to lift the sliding rods, and a pair of arms carried by the lower ends of the sliding rods and extending under said circular, steel plate for lifting the cope hydraulically from the drag, said table also supporting a brake-band extending about said brake-drum and having one end sesured to a pin and the other end pivotally mounted on a lever which is pivoted on said pin.

3. In a centrifugal casting machine, the combination of a supporting frame comprising a plurality of legs, a table for supporting a mold, a base carried by the legs, a driving motor and driven vertical shaft extending through said table, an upwardly extending frame comprising a plurality of vertical frame members joined by transverse horizontal frame members, said hori-' zontal frame members extending at right angles to each other to each of the corners of the frame, and supporting a plurality of intermediate horizontal frame members, a turn table carried by said shaft, a brake-drum carried by the shaft below the turn table, said turn table having a aso'rgses plurality of axially extending, regularly spaced, threaded bolts secured thereto by nuts and arranged in a circle, and a drag having threaded apertures for receiving said 'bolts which are threaded into said drag to secure the drag to the turn table in centered position at right angles to the axis of the shaft, and a cope fitting over said drag and forming with the drag a mold cavity, said cope having a centrally located, vertically extending fiilling opening, a circular metal plate carried by the top of the. cope and projecting ra-. dially from the. cope, a pair of rods slidably mounted upon said intermediate frame members, said rods being joined by. a cross head and in-. termediate frame. members, a hydraulic cylinder and piston connected to. the cross head to lift the sliding rods, and a pair of arms carried by the lower ends of the sliding rods and extending under said circular, steel plate for lifting the cope hydraulically from the drag, and a pivoted latching member having a multiplicity of supporting h uld r e a ate by s or e m e. y gravity into engagement with one of the arms on said idin ro s er baldin the Sl d 6.0108 r ted, re ime e enir iusal, as in re e n the b na n i as. par i rame. comprising a @111- T3. 9i l tabl P s m n a d. a e earr e bribe e s a'qriv eamo d en vertical shatt extending through said table, an upwardl xt nd n -tr ns amp r s plurality e ve i a rees timbersine y transverse horizontal frame members, said horizontal frame m embers extendingat right-angles to each other to, each of the co rsof the frame, and supporting a plurali of intermediate horizontal frame members, a; turn table carried by said shaft, a'brake-drurn carried by the shaft below the turn table, said turn table having a plurality of axially. extending, regularly spaced, threaded bolts secured thereto by nuts and arranged in a anneal; a'clrag having threaded apertures for receiving said bpltswhich are threaded into said drag to secure the drag to, the turn table in centered position at right 'angles to the axis of the and-a steami oversaid drag and forme with thefdi ag a lhlbl d cavity, said cope havm a centrally. locat ed, vertically extending filling opening, a circular metal plate carried by the top ofthe cope and projecting, radially from the cope, a pair of rods, 'slidably mounted upon said intermediate frame members, said rods being jgined by a cross head and intermediate frame members, a hydraulic cylinder and piston connected. to the cross. head to liftthe sliding rods, and a pair of arms carried by the lower ends of the'sliding rods and extending under said circular, steel platefor lifting the cups hydraulically from the drag, said turn table supporting, at diametrically opposite points, a pair of pivotally mounted locking levers, the pivots of said levers being offset and located under thedrag, and each lever, having alocking shoulder at its free end; for engaging over the topedge of said cope, said levers each being mgunted upon a bracket carried by the turntable. and said bracket support-. ing a depending pivoted weight' connected by a link to said lever in each case,the weight swing ing'outward due tocentrifugal force and locking the cope tofthe drag; while they are rotating.

5. In a centrifugal casting machine, the coml2 bination of a supporting frame comprising a plurality of legs, a table for supporting a mold, a. base carried by the legs, a driving motor and driven vertical shaft extending through said table, an upwardly extending frame comprising a plurality of vertical frame members joined by transverse horizontal'frame members, saidhorizontal frame members extending at right angles to each other to each of the cornersof the frame, and supporting a plurality of intermediate horizontal frame members, a turn table carried by said shaft, a brake-drum carried by the shaft below the turn table, said turn table having a plurality of axially extending, regularly spaced, threaded bolts secured thereto by nuts and ar-.-.. ranged in a circle, and a drag having threaded apertures for receiving said bolts which are. threaded. into said drag to secure the drag to, the turn table incentered position at. right angles to the axis of the shaft, anda cope fitting over said drag and forming with the. drag a mold cavity, said cope having a centrally located, ver-. tically extending filling opening, a circular metal plate carried by the top. of the cope and pro.-. jecting radially from the cope, a pair of rods slidably mounted upon said intermediate frame members, said rodsv being joined by a cross head and intermediate frame members, a hydraulic cylinder and piston connected to the cross head to liftthe sliding-rods, and v a pair of arms carried by the lower ends of. the sliding rods. and ex tending under said circulansteel plate forlifting the cops hydraulically from the drag, an ei e P e t n in r u h an. e r n said dragin position tq engage a casting in said cavity, said pin being mounted upon a threaded. stud and said stud carrying a weighted lever, and a spring for urging said weighted lever into a position. where the ejector pin isretracted, the Weighted lever tending to, move onwardv in the direction of rotation against itsspring when the brake is applied to the rotating drag, the threaded. member lifting; the ejector pin to eject the. cast-, ing from the drag as: the, brake is applied, the. casting and cope being lifted together,

JOHN. A. T LEIK.

BEE EN 1 C T D The following references are of record in the:

file of this pa ient:

UNI-TED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,708 Rittenhouse May 13, 1890 1,024,755v Walker Apr. 30, 19 12 1,538,576 Mulvihill M May 1 9, 1925; 1,570,653. Wickland et a1. Jan. 26, 1926' 1,583,576. Coburn May 4, 1926 1,691,464 Brown H Nov. 13, 1928 1,817,012 Merle Aug, 4, 1931' 1,853,344 Fobert Apr. 12, 1 932- 1,882,5 16. Naugle et a1; Oct. 11, 1932 1,908,740 Fahrenvl ald May 16, 1933 1,983,146 Sargent Dec. 4, 193*} 2,036,401 Dail'ey Apr. 7, 1936 2,172,798 Littmann Sept, 12, 1939 2,193,537 Nelson Mar. 10, 1940- 2,267,010 Anderson Dec. 23, 1941 2,270,822 McCarroll-etal Jan. 20, 1942 2,370,953 Greenberg' Mar. 6, 1945 2,415,620 Woock Feb. 11, 1947 

